To begin this post, the trip was not off to a good start for me...
Tuesday, 2 April
So, let me tell you about the "amazing" trip to Kenya. It started as a series of unfortunate events when my friend Tess and I ate dinner in Kampala. Let's just say... it wasn't fun. We came to the conclusion that we got food poisoning. This was a very inconvenient time, having to fly to Kenya the same night, sit through layovers, drive, etc. We both had horrible stomach cramps and vomiting. I was lucky enough not to have as bad of a reaction to whatever we ate compared to her. Two flights later, we landed in Lamu. After getting our luggage, we took a boat to Shela Island, where we lived. Our suitcases came shortly behind us in another boat. I was so excited to spend this next week here. The place where we stayed was just a few minutes walk to get to the beach. It felt like a maze with so many alleyways. By this time, I was feeling better, and things started looking up. I joined others on the beach to swim after eating lunch. The ocean was soooo warm, at around 77.7°F / 25.4°C.
Wednesday, 3 April
For the day, we explored the city and did some shopping. Many of us bought rings, earrings, and/or bracelets from a local silver jewelry shop. I bought a kikoi, a bottle opener, and other gifts. In the evening, we went swimming again and I got to check off another bucket list item. WE SAW AND SWAM IN BIOLUMINESCENT PLANKTON!! It wasn’t super strong, but our movements made everything around us sparkle. Swimming past midnight in Lamu and not being cold was enough of an experience in itself, but being surrounded by the blue glow and sparkle of bioluminescent plankton while looking up at the Milky Way was one of the most surreal and magical moments of my life.
Star trails
Thursday, 4 April
This was probably one of my favorite evenings in Lamu. Nothing beats good company, swimming, and sunset sailing.
Friday, 5 April
Photos from where we stayed and of the Milky Way
Saturday, 6 April
Just another day out on the boat with lots of sunshine and snorkeling. We saw many fish, coral, and other sea life. Lunch was probably one of the best meals I’ve eaten here in Africa for the past 3 months. We ate grilled fish that was prepared on the boat, along with mango salad and chapatti.
Sunday, 7 April
Just another day out at sea with the hope of swimming with dolphins. However, this time, the ocean was way more rough. It took us twice as long to get out to where we tried seeing them, and everyone got seasick. I think at one point on this trip, we all thought to ourselves, "What will we do if this boat capsizes?" Picture us on a small boat, far from land on the Indian Ocean, with decently large waves, 7 passengers, and ONLY 2 LIFE VESTS. Well, I've obviously written this post, so yay to us for not flipping! ANDDD WE DID SEE THE FIN OF A DOLPHIN, so that was cool. Of course, we had hoped to swim with them, but I guess this was good enough.
Monday, 8 April
We all decided to get henna tattoos during our visit. I discovered that men are not allowed to have mehndi (henna) done. I'm not entirely sure of the reason, but it could be linked to the ongoing Ramadan celebrations or cultural and societal norms. I got it done on both of my arms and my left leg. Each person's henna design turned out to be incredibly beautiful and unique. Later that evening, I had the opportunity to try shark curry for the first time. Some people compare its taste to chicken, especially since it didn't have a strong "fishy" flavor, but for me, it was a bit challenging to describe. This marked the end of our last full day in Lamu before the long journey to Norway and Oregon.
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